Women run 42% of South African households in 2024

Stats SA has published its latest General Household Survey, which reveals that women run 42% of South African households on their own without any assistance. This revealing statistic follows the government entity’s revelation that one out of every two households in South Africa receives a South African Social Security Agency grant of some sort.  

WOMEN RUN 42% OF SOUTH AFRICAN HOUSEHOLDS

It’s incredible to think that women run 42% of South African households on their own, that’s two out of every five homes in Mzansi. Even more remarkable is how this statistic persists even with the well-known gender pay gap, reports The Citizen. Women-headed homes in South Africa are fairly common in the townships/rural areas.

This is why the matriarch is best positioned to take care of the broader family unit. This, too, is the genesis of how women are behind community-based stokvel savings schemes. University of Cape Town studies have revealed that quite often SASSA grants will be used to care for children in the community just to keep food on the table.

STATS PER PROVINCE

According to the report, households run by women occur mostly in rural areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape (48.8%) and Limpopo (47.0%). The phenomenon is least common in Gauteng (36.5%), where men earn the majority of the money.

“Family structure and healthy households are profoundly important to the developmental, emotional and cognitive growth of children. Capable parents and/or caregivers can play a central role in this development,” says Stats SA.

NUCLEAR FAMILY

Moreover, here some revealing stats from the report:

• 19% of South African children live with neither biological parent.
• 31.5% of children live with both parents.
• 45.4% of children live with only their mothers.
• 12.3% (one-eighth) of children were orphaned, having lost one or both parents.
• 26.5% of South African households consist of just one parent.
• 39% are classed as ‘nuclear households’ with both parents and children.
• 38% of all homes house two-generations.
• 13.9% contain upwards of three generations of family.
• Grandparents living with and taking care of grandchildren – otherwise known as skip-generation – occurs in 4.2% of households.

UNEMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL GRANTS

Furthermore, the report states the fact that women run 42% of South African households is symptomatic South Africa’s worsening unemployment rate under the ANC. Joblessness increased by 0.8% to 32.9% in 2024 and this is pushing more citizens towards SASSA grants for survival.

And the ANC promises it will introduce a Basic Income Grant for all unemployed by 2026 if reelected. Of course, SASSA grants remain a safety net for the country’s poor but, worryingly, it accounts as the main source of income for 23.0% of all households nationally.

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